Kiln-car propeller



v April-7, 1931. T. c? PROUTY ET AL 1,799,641

KILN CAR PROPELLER Filed April '7, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l d0 5&3

' ATTORNEY.

April 7, 1931. T. C. PROUTY ET AL 1,799,641

KILN CAR PROPELLER Filed April 7, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY,

April 7,1931.

T. C. PROUTY ET AL KILN CAR PROPELLER Filed April 7, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 115M 0. Prowi3-,

I ATTORNEY product carrying cars be moved at .be barely perceptible Patented Apr. 7, 1931 Unrren STATES PATENT" o F FrcEtj rn'nonon-n o. PBOUTY AND wnpis OSWALD PRoU'rY, or nnnmosaiannon, cani- FORNIA, ASSIGNOBS T0 AMERICAN ENGAUSTIC' TILING COMPANY, ran, on new YORK, N. Y, A CORPORATION 01? NEW YORK man-can PROPELLER Application filed April 7, 1927. Serial 1T0. 181,674.

This invention is a propelling mechanism which is useful, more particularly, for imparting movement to a series of productcarrying oars within a tunnel kiln for the purpose of exposing such products to the temperatures prevailingin diiterent parts of the tunnel chamber.

In tunnel kiln practice itis required that a deteris usually so slow as to mined speed which to the eye of an observer; that such cars be propelled with a steady continuous movement in order to preclude shocks and jarswliich might and do have a tendency to disturb the products stacked or piled on said cars whereby lrregularity in the travel is overcome and the stacked or piled products are not liable to topple over within the tunnel chamber; and, further, that a car loaded with unfired proclucts be introduced with facility into the tunnel chamber so as to co'nstitute'one of a series I said tunnel chamber,

of such cars adapted for movement within such introduction of an additional car at one end of the series of such cars and the movement of the additional car into the entry end of the tunnel chamber taking place concurrently with the delivery products, whereby the trom'the opposite endof the tunnel chamber of a car loadedwith matured and cooled service conti" uously or without interruption in the transportation of the products or in the maintenance of the appropriate temperay projecting 1 tures at the preheating, maturing, ing zones of e s In a co-pendmg application namely,Ser1al and coolsuch tunnel chamber. I

No. 177,914c, filed March 24, 1927, we have disclosed one form oi the heat treatment of the bisque composition of ceramic products, such as floor and wall tiles, nel chamber o en at both the entry end and the delivery end, together with a track extending for the length of said tunnel chamher, with the opposite ends of said track beyond said entry end ands'aid delivery end of the tunnel chamber. As therein disclosed, the track'is inclined perceptibly, such inclination being from the introduction from time cars lnto the series and without arresting;

mechanism,

kiln is adapted for tunnel kiln adapted forsaid kiln embodying a continuous tundelivery end toward the entry end oft hetunnel chamber,

tion of the propelling mechanism, thelatten being in service continuously and being op erable torimparting a steady slow movement to all the cars within the tunnelchamber. v The object of this invention isto simplify the construction of a car-propelling mechanism adapted for the "functions ot'movi-ng at slow speed a series of loaded cars within a tunnel kiln, and for the the movement of said cars constituting the series.

In the present invention, we employ electric motor as the prime mover for the operatlon of the series series within said tunnel chamber.

time of additional of cars, and with said,

performance of the motor there are associated a speed reduction and an endless car-driving member operable from said motor through the action of said reduction mechanism. The

car-driving member is, preferably, in the,

form oi an endless chain positioned substantially at the open entry to the tunnel chamber, said endless chain extending partly within the tunnel entry and extending, also,-part' way out of and beyond the tunnel entry. This endless chain is equipped witha plurality of car-engaging element-s usually in the form of flat bars, sai

spect to each other and each eljement being .engageable with a trigger provided on' the.

underframing of a car whereby the motion of the chaln 1s communlcated to a carto be and through the tuntailed description taken in connection with the accompanying I F g re l is a sectlonal elevation of tur drawings, wherein d elements being spaced with repropelled into thev tunnel, and thus thecars in nel kiln equipped with a car propelling mechanism of this invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the entry end of the tunnel chamber on the line 22 of Figure 1, illustrating the car-propelling mechanism in plan view.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. 7

Figures 4 and 5 are views in side elevation and end elevation, respectively, illustrating the relation of the speed reduction units to the electric motor drive.

A designates a tunnel kiln of suitable construction, such as the bisque kiln disclosed in our co-pending application Serial No. 177,914, filed March 24;, 1927. Said kiln includes a tunnel chamber B, the entry 6 of which is normally open to the outside atmosphere. VVithinthe tunnel chamber B extends a track the rails C of which are preferably inolined somewhat, so that the track end at the entr b is not as high as the end of said trac at the delivery end of the tunnel chamber, the inclination of said rails C being downwardly toward the entry 6, whereby the'series of kiln cars D tend to move by gravity into abutting contact one with the other, and thus the series of cars within the tunnel chamber are engaged automatically to retain such cars in the required close rela-' tion throughout the series extending the full length of said tunnel chamber. The rails C "ofthe track are extended for a desired distance beyond the open entry Zfto the tunnel chamber, and with said extended part of the track cooperates a transfer car, not shown herein for the reason that it is ordinary in the tunnel kiln art. Each kiln car D may be, and preferably is, constructed as disclosed in our co-pending application with .a rigid substantial underframtrigger is engageab-le with the driving ing 03, composed of metal bars or beams Welded or otherwiserigidly fastened togeth er. Said underframe is equipped with hangers for the wheels d adapted to travel on the rails C, and in addition to the described construction, the car D is provided with a trigger E, herein shown as a single piece of metal rigidly fastened, as by welding, to a part of the underframing d, said trigger E occupying an inclined depending relation to the car and its under-framing whereby the chain, presently described.

The kiln structure is built or erected upon a metal underframing composed of longitudinal beams a and transverse beams a suitably united, as by welding said beams, whereby the kiln structure occupies a raised position above the level of the floor, and thus there is a free space beneath the kiln for the radiation of heat and for the flow of at- 1 mospheric air beneath the kiln for substantially the length and width of said kiln struc-- ture.

Beneath the entry portion 1) of the tunnel kiln we provide .a metallic frame F for supporting the various elements of the kiln drive, said metallic frame comprising appropriate beams and bars united rigidly together, as by welding. It is preferred to use a metal frame exposed for access partly at the side of the kiln structure .and partly beyond the entry 6 to the tunnel chamber, other parts of said frame F being below the kiln structure and the tunnel. chamber thereof.

The power required for the propulsion of the cars within the tunnel chamber, at the speed selected, is furnished by any suitable motor or engine or other source of power, but in the drawings wehave shown an electric motor G, mounted on the frame F or a part thereof, said motor being outside of the kiln structure and at one side thereof, although the location of the motor is not a factor in our invention. The speed of the motor shaft is reduced through the agency of any perferred speed reduction mechanism, but in the example shown, we employ a plurality of reduction units H, H of a standard type, both units being outside of the kiln structure and supported on the frame F. The motor shaft g is shown as having a pulley g engaged by a belt 9 which drives a pulley it of the firstreduction unit H and the shaft 72/ for imparting motion to the second reduction unit H This second unit drives a shaft I composed of alined sections, coupled by a clutch 2', the latter being shiftable bythe movement of a shipper lever 2' The counter shaft 1 is journaled in appropriate bearings on frame F outside of the kiln, and this shaft is provided with a sprocket wheel j, engaged by an endless sprocket chain J, extending alongside of the kiln, exteriorly thereto. Said chain engages with a sprocket wheel 3' provided on a horizontal shaft K, journaled in bearings on the frame F, and extending beneath the kiln structure, at a suitable distance inwardly from the entry end 6 to the kiln chamber. Said shaft K is provided with a sprocket wheel is, and parallel to the shaft'K is another shaft L, the latter being journaled in bearings provided on the frame F, and being positioned outside the kiln structure and beyond the entry 6 to the tunnel chamber. Said shaft L is provided with a sprocket wheel Z, disposed in alinement with sprocket wheel is on shaft K, and with said alined sprockets is, Z, of the two shafts K, L, is engaged the propelling chain M adapted for the propulsion of cars within said tunnel chamber.

The propelling chain M, or equivalent endless member, is positioned between the rails of track G, and it extends part way outside of the kiln structure, beyond the entry 6 to the tunnel chamber, and it extends, also, beneath the kiln structure, for an appropriate distance inwardly with respect to the entry '6 of the tunnel chamber. Said propelling chain'is driven at slow speed by the train of CHIS.

devices "between the shaft K and the motor, and this chain is provided with means for engagement with or by the triggers on the kiln As one means for effecting suchear engagement at the required periods in the movement of the propelling chain, we have shown a plurality of coupling bars m, m,

' fixedly attached to-said chain and spaced relaone car until the next succeeding car shall have been positioned for the engagement with its coupling member by the next coupling 7 member m of said propelling chain, The

cars are adapted to be placed atthe entry endto thetunnel chamber for engagement successively by the coupling bars m of the propelling chain, and as each car is thus pushed into and through the entry 2), the

i movement of said car brings it into abutting engagement with the car next preceding it,

whereby the force applied to the last carof p the series acts to propell all the cars within the tunnel chamber, such propulsion of the .of a plate in? is series of cars beingat the slow speed given to the propelling chain by the motor acting through the reduction-units H, H, and the series of shafts herein described.

The upper run or lead of the endless protendency to sag and this pelling chain has a may move the chain bar m free from the trigger of the car, thereby uncoupling the chain from the car. To overcome this uncoupling,

frame F, said supporting element a being below the upper run or lead of the chain and in engagement therewith. The upper run of the chain is free to slide upon the plate a which acts as a support to retain the traveling chain in the required. relation to the trigger of the car, thusovercoming a tendency of the chain to be uncoupled by sagging of the chain away from the car. A similar plate Foi is provided on the frame for contact with the sagging under run or lead of the endless chain M.

VVhen the kiln is in service, the tunnel chamber contains a series of cars which are in abutting contact one with the other, the last car of the seriesbeing engaged by one mem ber m of thepropellingchain, so that all the cars are pushed through the tunnel chama supporting element in the form fixedly attached to parts of berg Before the member m of the propelling chain is moved far enough into the chamber to be carried around the sprocket wheel of shaft K and to be disengaged from said car last introduced, another car is shifted by the transfer table to a position in line with the track Cand with the series of cars. At the proper time in the travel "ofthe chain M, the other member m is moved into engagement with the trigger of the car thus alined with the track, suchengagement taking place prior to the disengagement of the b, and thereupon the chain operates impart movement to the freshly'introduced car,

and the operati'onsare repeated for keeping the tunnel chamber filled with loaded cars;

Gur' propelling mechanism comprises relatively few parts, each simple in construction and installed so as to be accessible readily for repairs and replacement, if re- 1 inspection, quired. The reduction units 11,11", which we employ and the motor are standard constructions well known in the artsso as to be replaced should they get out of order.- The endless chain affords means for engagement successively with the added cars as and when placed in series, and saidchain is a simple and inexpensive, part easily inspected and repaired; The propelling mechanism as a whole is readily assembled and installed, and

' if desired some of the parts outside of the kiln may be encased to exclude dust and dirt and to reclude injury to the workmen. f

It will be noted that the propelling mechanism embodiesa simple but effective organization-and construction of parts including a single element, suchas a trigger, on each car,

and a single driving chain provided with a plurality of car-engaging members, each in. the form of a simple bar. The propelling chain however occupies a novel relation to the tunnel'chamber, at the entry end'b thereof, said propelling member ranging lengthwise of the tunnel entry, with one end' of the chain beyond the tunnel kiln and with the other end positioned inwardly with respectjto the entry blof said tunnel chamber,

chain from said car just beyond the kiln entry I the effect of which is thatthe chain moves each added car for a. distance required to introduce said added car into the tunnel chamber. The added car abuts against the next preceding'car of the series, and the movement given to the added car by the action of the propelling chain alfords the pushing effort required to propel all of the cars of the series within the tunnel chamber. As previously stated, the cars move slowly. through and within the kiln forexposing the ceramic products for the periods of time required to the temperatures prevailing within the several zones, i. e., the pre-heating, maturing (firing), and cooling Zones, and as indicating the slowness of the car movement, we men- 7 tion that in the bisque ki-hi disclosed in our co-pending application, the cars are moved at a speed of .368 inch per minute of time, although it is to be understood that we do not intend to restrict the car speed to the limit stated, for the reason that such speed may be increased or decreased as and when required.

The cars are propelled within the tunnel chamber at the speed of the drive chain, one member m of which is, in effect, coupled to the end car of the series by the engagement of the car trigger with the chain member m. Said chain moves relatively to the kiln entry 6 for a distance exceeding the length of the car. are spaced relatively to the cars so that in the travel of the chain one member ,m engages with a car to be added to the series prior to the disengagement of the other chain members from the car next preceding the car to be added, and thus the series of cars are moved continuously and there is no cessation in such car movement by the addition of cars to the series.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I 1. In a car propeller, the combination with a chamber adapted for containing a continu- ,ous series of cars in abutting relation, of a propelling member acting with a continuous movement in one direction for applying propulsive energy to an end car of the series and to effect the movement of the abutting cars throughout the series whereby all the cars are advanced within the chamber, and means for imparting movement at slow speed to said propelling member.

2-. In a car propeller, the combinationwith a chamber having a track whereon travels a continuous series of cars positioned in abutting contact one with the other and adapted for continuous movement in one direction for exposing the loads to treatment within said chamber, of a propelling member adjacent the entry to said chamber, said propelling member acting with a single continuous movement, and co-operable with an end car of a series foreffecting the application of propulsive energy in one direction to all the cars of the series, and means for imparting slow movement continuously to said propelling member, whereby successive cars are introduced in series'with the cars in said chamber and all the cars are propelled by power applied to an end car of said series. V

3. In a car propeller, the combination with a chamber having means for the reception of a series of cars postioned in abutting contact and adapted for movement concurrently with one another w1th1n said chamber, of an endless propelling member positioned adja-' cent an entry to said chamber, said propelling member being co-operable with an end car of the series and operating to apply a propulsive force in one direction to said end car whereby The members m of the drive chain.

all the cars of the series are moved continuously within the chamber, and driving means for imparting movement continuously and at slow sped to said propelling member.

4. In a car propeller, a chamber having a track for the reception of a series of cars positioned in abutting contact and adapted for concurrent movement in said chamber, a single endless propelling member at the entry to said chamber, a plurality of car-engageable devices carried by said propelling member and spaced for co-operation with a plurality of cars adapted to be introduced successively into the chamber and in the desired abutting contact with an end car of the series, and means for driving the propelling member continuously and at slow speed whereby all the cars of the series are adapted for movement by the propulsive energy of the single propelling member.

5. In a car propeller, a chamber having a tr cirfor the reception of a series of'cars postioned in abutting contact, a single endless propelling member positioned at the entry to said chamber and extending lengthwise thereof for one part of the propelling member to operate within the chamber and for another part thereof to operate exteriorly with respect to the chamber entry, a plurality of carengaging devices movable with the propelling member and spaced relatively one to the other for co-operation with cars adapted to be introduced successively into the chamber, and means for driving the propelling member continuously in one direction and at relatively slow speed.

6. In a car propeller, in combination, a chamber having a track for the reception of a series of cars positioned in abutting contact, a single endless propelling member ranging lengthwise of the entry to said chamber, a plurality of car-engaging means carried by the propelling member and spaced thereon for co-operation with cars adapted to be. ,introduced successively into said chamber, a motor, speed reduction gearing intermediate the motor and the endless propelling member, and controlling means for said speed reduction gearing.

7. In a car propeller, the combination with a chamber adapted for containing a continuous series of cars in'abutting relation, of an endless chain acting with a continuous movement in one direction for applying propulsive energy to an end car of the series and to elfect the movement of the abutting cars throughout the series, whereby all the cars are advanced within the chamber, and means for imparting movement at slow speed to said endless chain.

8. In a car propeller, a chamber having a track for the reception of a series of cars positioned in abutting contact and adapted for concurrent movement in said chamber, a single endless chain at the entry to said chamber,

, a plurality of car engageable devices carried 7 one to the other in abutting relation.

by said endless chain, eration with a plurality duced successively into and spaced for co-opof cars to be introthe chamber and in the desired abutting contact with an end car of the series, and means for driving the endless chain continuously and at slow speed whereby all the cars of the series are adapted for movement by the propulsive energy of the endless chain.

9. In a car propeller, a chamber having a track for the reception of a series of cars positioned in abutting contact and adapted for concurrent movement 1n sald chamber, a single endless chain at the entry to said chamber, a plurality of devices mounted on said chain, each device being adapted to contact a projection on a car to progress the car for a distance in the chamber and means for driving the said chain continuously and at slow speed whereby all the cars of the series are adapted for movement by the said chain.-

'10. In a car propeller, a chamber having inclined tracks for the reception of a series of cars positioned in abutting contact, a single endless propelling member positioned atthe entry to said chamber and extending into said chamber for only a portion thereof, a plurality of car engaging devices movable with the propelling member and spaced relatively for co-operation with cars adapted to be introduced successively into the chamber, and means for driving the propelling member cont'nuously in one direction and at relatively slow speed, whereby all the said cars are moved while being maintained In testimony whereof we have signed our names hereto at Hermosa Beach this 23d day of February, 1927. i

THEODORE C. PROUTY. WILLIS OSWALD PROUTY.

the propulsive energy of- 

